Whispers and Anarchy...
Sometimes being a fashion blogger makes you feel a bit like an alien... why else would you choose to wear cat print trousers, a matrix inspired jumper, bright pink lipstick, and 5 inch wedges around... in the middle of the day on a Thursday? Surely there must be something wrong... surely, I must have accidentally been dropped out of a spaceship with little clue of what is actually acceptable on this planet*?
So, when Mimco contacted me about their new campaign video where an alien-like girl finds herself all dolled up parading around Paris like a nutter in a PVC rain jacket and hiney-skimming shorts I couldn't resist the temptation to get involved... because after all I do love a pair of short-shorts and a cute girl on a cute bike never goes amiss in my books.
Wearing: Mimco Venus Wedges (Mimco), Paul & Joe cat print trousers (HPR London), Reiss backpack, and Next jumper. Big thanks to Tam at Taboo in Australia for inviting me to take part in the Mimco campaign. Thanks Dan for the photos.
* well, you'd think so with the looks I get sometimes
Hope this Mimco video, with its sweet tunes and carefree spirit, helps to get you in the weekend mood.
The here and Now...
As much as I might be a die-hard fashion lover, I've got to admit that techie things really get me excited. It might be because I was raised on Nintendo or because my Dad had a collection of DVDs 500 strong way back in 1996, but I've always been able to hold my own when it comes to electronic devices and have sent many a boy home crying because I was, and forever will be, the Donkey Kong champion.
Needless to say, when Samsung contacted me about being involved in the Now Project as part of the launch of their new Wave II phone I was pretty over the moon. The camera on the little device is seriously top notch and the phone has the coolest photo editing software and makes it super easy to upload artsy pictures straight onto facebook (or anywhere else on the web). I absolutely love the thing and have been using it ever since it was first given to me a few months back (a serious step-up as it transported me to the wonderful world of having internet on my phone - I know, sometimes I'm a bit behind on the times).
A couple of weeks ago Samsung hosted an exhibition at the Design Museum in London to showcase all the nifty pictures people had taken with their little Waves. It was such a treat to see the photos I had taken up on display (awwh, shucks). Besides just that, the event took place in a very swanky location and had views overlooking the London Bridge and all the offices in central London (whose lights never seem to go off)... which was all pretty heart warming for a girl who now is a bit of a tourist in the city.
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First two photos feature the images I took for the project: Pandemonia at the Charlie le Mindu AW11 show and Oxford Circus the night before LFW began.
Must send out a very big Thank You to Samsung for hosting the event and sending me the Wave II phone. Also, massive love to Spreading Jam for including me as a participant in the Now Project. Always a pleasure (#tipshat). Other participants in the event included the ever lovely and very talented: Daniella, Kit, Charlie, Frances and Shini (in absentia).
Hello Akris, nice to meet you.
It seems I'm discovering all sorts of new things since moving to Switzerland... that sunshine is good for the soul, a fresh pretzel can heal all wounds, new scenery is refreshingly invigorating... and that Akris should be getting a lot more attention than it currently is. Understated quality pieces are where it's at in my books. Maybe it's because I'm finally done being a student or because the thought of buying one more poor quality over priced garment from a British high street store makes me feel nauseated... but labels, trends, and what's 'popular' feels so early noughties. I don't care what the label says, which celebrity wore it where, or if it fits into Grazia's* top trends... I just want to like it, have it fit well, and be good quality. History, design, and craftmanship are what I'm looking for... cue Akris.
The Swiss luxury brand that is going to celebrate it's 90th birthday next year has taken the high road in terms of brand authenticity. You wont find a perfume with their name smeared across it or a full page ad in Vogue with the hottest young starlet modeling its goods. Rather, they simply create beautifully constructed pieces and let their desirability spread by word of mouth. Their Autumn/Winter 2011 collection ticks all the right boxes: bold yellow and red (yesss!), soft shades of grey (my favouuurite), graphic futuristic prints (oh myy), plus the most wearable footwear in a range of sumptuous colours. Word of mouth starts in 5... 4... 3...
*no offense, you are my favourite weekly magazine
Bringing you luxury on a budget...
...........crisp................iconic..........................forever.....................................
The two chosen pieces are a 100% silk Gucci cream shirt and yellow Celine small bag. These are both being listed on ebay with the starting price of 79.99. Personally, I think everybody should have a bit of luxury in their wardrobe... but think paying the insane prices for new items is insanely unrealistic for most of us (myself included). Which is why I'm starting the Gucci shirt off at 79.99 (new Gucci shirts are currently on Net a Porter for between 500-900 GBP) and the Celine bag at 79.99 as well (new Celine handbags retail at 2,000 GBP)... I have no clue what these will sell for but if I make a profit I'll put that money back into finding more pieces that I can sell again to you guys for a fraction of the price.
The motivation for doing this? At the moment I've got the time and resources to find amazing second hand pieces for reasonable prices and have been feeling disillusioned and disgruntled by the obnoxious mark ups of secondhand/vintage shops in London. Mmmmkay? So, happy bidding and do a girl a favour and spread the word about this. The more I can make from selling these the more items I can find for you... which, let's be honest, is a pretty fun way to spend a day.
Please note: this post has been amended due to the complications of selling items over Twitter (which I had originally intended to do). A link to my ebay account will be provided over Twitter and on my Facebook Page soon, incase you are interested in either of these items.
p.s. items worn in first photo are - red Sonia Rykiel skirt (left) and Akris printed dress & vintage leather belt with gold detail by a Swiss designer whose name I can't remember (right).
Issey Miyake & Balenciaga charity finds...
Issey Miyake Pleats Please skirt (purchased with matching top) and Balenciaga boots (like new) both purchased at a charity shop in Zurich yesterday. This is not a joke like last time. This is not an April Fools trick... although I do wish you all a very happy April Fools.
These items were purchased from an incredible charity in the city... clearly there are far too many people with extraordinary clothes in Zurich and far too few people who want to snatch them up (enter yours truly).
Wearing: Issey Miyake Pleats Please skirt, Balenciaga boots, American Apparel Tri-blend Short sleeve track shirt, and Madewell jacket. Drinking Lipton Lemon flavoured ice-tea... yummm... especially when fresh out of the fridge. Photos taken by the very talented photographer Louise Wing.
Please note: the colour in these photos has not been manipulated. The skirt is THAT orange in real life.
Dreamlike
Currently inspired by the whimsical colour palette and composition of Chagall.
Chagall - The Lovers in Grey at the Kunsthaus Zürich
Photo taken with Samsung Wave II
Shopping bag chic BAGGU BAG style
I dont know about you, but as soon as the weather starts to get warm carrying a big heavy leather bag seems like the least appealing thing ever. What I want is light, easy, and breezy (which is why I bought a striped cotton one from Ikea the other day... after realizing none of my light summer bags had made it to Zurich yet). But look at these little gems! How cool are they? One part grocery store shopping bag... one part Jil Sander Market bag (sorry Jackie). They are made entirely from recycled materials and come hot off the street of NY... what's not to like, eh?
Umm... and incase you needed any more of a shocker for your mid-week lunch break - they cost £6.99
The lovely folks over at These Words Could Kill are offering 25% off all purchases made on these bags (just enter 25blog at checkout). So clickity-click on over and find your favourite Baggu Bag today, available now at SteadyGuy...
While you're at it why not LIKE MY NEW FACEBOOK PAGE? It's new and young... only 72 people have liked it so far... help me boost it up babies! xx
Adventures in Zurich...
Am currently in heaven. I'm finally getting to spend some time in Zurich and it's painfully surreal to soak in the beauty of Switzerland. Everything looks like a fake background and I keep pinching myself because surely (surely) I can't really live here.
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Wearing: Madewell jacket, Banana Republic white vest, Next skirt, Converse, and YSL tribute ring.
All photos taken this morning with Canon 550dslr & 35mm 2.0
p.s. are you a young designer or woman who wants help shopping? if so get in touch (jennifer.e.inglis@gmail.com)... am putting together a new project and just want to suss out how much interest there would be in it.
Heaven sent.
The sun is like a drug for me, especially after living in England for five years. When it comes out I am useless and want to do nothing other than wear floral dresses and lie in the park. This was the first day I braved bare legs and I was so glad I decided to take the plunge because it was a total scorcher (by London standards). What better way could there be to usher in Spring than with a perfect little floral dress and leather boots? So glad to have finally been able to bid winter a triumphant farewell.
Wearing: Paul & Joe Lioness Dress (HPR London) and Monki boots.
Photos by Daniella.
p.s. I'm in the process of swapping over my facebook GROUP for a facebook PAGE (after being advised by a reader that the group wasn't that useful - thanks for your honesty)... so get on over there and 'like' it, if in fact you do, errr... like it (otherwise, see ya later gater).
Mykita
Today, by absolute random chance, I stumbled into an eyewear shop on Langstrasse in Zurich. I was 'ohhhing' and 'awwwing' at all the glasses, pointing and saying to my husband, 'you don't understand, these glasses are amaaazing' when a man approached me and asked if I wanted to try on anything. 'Oh no no, I'm just looking' I replied. 'Well, if you change your mind feel free to try on anything you like - there's a mirror just there' (he pointed to the far side of the wall). Before he could walk away I just had to ask, 'What brands are these sunglasses?' His response included a few different names, some that I recognized* most others I didn't (one was Mykita). I tried on a pair and loved them but hadn't gone in with any intention of buying a pair of sunglasses*...
Then I spotted a very different selection sitting behind the counter and walked over to have a little look. So bewildered by these glasses, and a bit gobsmacked by how I had never come across these before, I asked him, 'Who are those made by?' His reply was 'Mykita.' As he took a pair down and held them in his hand he said, 'these are made from metal* look what they can do' and pulled the arms back making the glasses entirely flat. He passed them to me, and I walked to the mirror on the other side of the shop and was totally blown away. They looked so cool. When I handed them back to him I rambled something about how amazing I thought they were, asked again who they were made by, and said I had never heard of that brand.
Just as I was about to leave I asked if he had a card for the shop. 'Of course', he replied and passed me a small white business card. As I thanked him and headed for the door I looked down to see that the name of the shop was 'Mykita'. Realizing immediately that my incessant questions about who designed the glasses must have sounded quite silly. I was in a Mykita shop asking who the glasses were made by, clearly the answer was pretty self evident. As I drifted away down the street I looked back and saw that in strong capital letters the word 'MYKITA' was emblazoned above the entrance to the shop.
I couldn't help thinking about these sunglasses for the rest of the day and when I got home I immediately pulled out the card and found the company online. Completely overwhelmed by the absolute magnitude of the brand, I got wrapped up in the many facets of the website: hand made glasses from Berlin, collaborations with incredible photographers and designers, a 'laboratory' where all the magic happens, and a careful selection of the most beautiful sunglasses. I'm so excited by this brand. They've only got a handful of shops, some being in Paris, Tokyo and Berlin, so there's a good chance most of you wont be able to pop down to see the glasses in real life (sorry London).
This shop is, without a doubt, my favourite discovery since being in Zurich and hopefully (if I'm lucky*) you'll spot a pair of these frames on my face in the near future.
*Paul & Joe, for example. The pair I tried on by them was amazing and I've been trying to find them online but can't. However, in my online hunt I did come across this. Totally chuffed because I love Paul & Joe and this was such a treat to find while insomniac posting at 4am on Sunday morning (the story of my current wave of insomnia - which I have never experienced before - is a whole other story, which I will leave out).
*I only recently got these ones after all, which are still seriously glued hard to my face.
*okay, so he didn't say 'metal' but some sort of specific metal... but I can't remember what it was.
*my birthday is in April, after all, so here's to keeping fingers crossed
Photos from the MYKITA website.
A perfect day in Zurich
Arrived back into Zurich in the wee hours of the morning after a crazy week in London. Was met with the most beautiful weather and thought the first hot day of the season deserved macaroons and a lakeside view. The truth is, I'd never had macaroons before (yes, yess, I know everyone is crazy about them). I sort of thought they wouldn't live up to the hype and would be a bit dry and overpriced? But these from Sprüngli were the most delicious little things and I am a serious convert now. Am planning to spend many a day in the sunshine chomping on them...
p.s. my favourite flavour was the cappuccino which tasted like a shot espresso inside.
Not a plastic bag.
The Jil Sander Market bag has become a crazy sensation in the fashion world. When I first started spotting it on street style blogs I wondered what would ever cause someone to buy it... surely it's just an orange plastic bag, right? I can pop down to Sainsburys and get the exact same thing.* It wasn't until I saw it in person, felt how heavy the plastic was, saw how it hung so perfectly off Jackie's arm that I realized why this bag has become such a huge hit. It encapsulates everything that is right about Spring Summer 2011. Minimal, bright, understated, and just a little bit ironic. The Jil Sander SS 2011 collection (filled with simple white round neck t-shirts and floor skimming skirts in hot pinks) was the best show of the season. It was the most revolutionary and the most inspiring.
Is paying £90 to have a bit of that phenomenon silly if it comes in the form of a bag that could be mistaken for one you'd get at the grocery store?
* Okay, maybe not the exact same thing if it's covered in 'Sainsburys' logos.
Trenched.
A perfect no-fail trench coat is the most essential piece of clothing for anyone trying to survive Spring in London, especially on days like today when it went from scorching to freezing with every shift of a cloud.
Wearing: Paul & Joe Cyclone trench (HPR London), jumper and leather trousers Topshop, American Apparel large leather pouch, Converse, and Retro Super Future lucia havana glitter sunglasses.
Thanks to Daniella for the photos.
Colour pop it.
Currently loving: unexpected pops of colour (especially if it's yellow), worn out backpacks, these Dr Martens, and the fact that Spring finally seems to have landed. It's still a bit chilly in London but this combination feels like the perfect way to nod to the coming season while avoiding the tragic English trap of wearing bare legs on the first day the sun shines (which inevitably ends in tears once it sets).
Photos featuring the ever stylish Matthew Zorpas.
Friday nights...
Found these Manolo Blahnik beauties on the street in Kensington this morning*... someone must have had a good night. I'm going to wear them, tap my toes together, and whisper, 'there's no place like London, there's no place like London, there's no place like London.'
* I didn't actually find them on the street. My friend wore them out last night and I thought it would be funny to pretend I found them on the street because, seriously, how freaking awesome would that be? I didn't think anyone would believe that I found them. I'm so sorry I couldn't add this update sooner, before all the comments were left, but I haven't been at a laptop until now. There is some truth to it though, we did have a very good night and there isn't any place like London.